No Luka, No LeBron, no problem: Lakers absolutely cook Pacers with 44-point 1st quarter

While Anthony Davis is tearing it up in his Dallas Mavericks debut, so is his former squad, the Los Angeles Lakers -- without him.

The Lakers have thrived without Davis since receiving Luka Doncic from Dallas in an all-time stunning blockbuster trade. Meanwhile, they've done so sans the ex-Mavericks organizational centerpiece in the lineup (yet). Their latest victim is the Indiana Pacers, and Los Angeles dismantled them from the jump despite not having their prized deadline addition(s) or LeBron James.

Los Angeles' starting five, missing James, Doncic and recent acquisition Mark Williams, doubled Indiana's offensive output. The Lakers were firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, outscoring the Pacers 44-22.

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No Luka, No LeBron, no problem: Lakers absolutely cook Pacers with 44-point 1st quarter

Not only did the Lakers shoot over 70 percent from the floor, but they also limited the Pacers to a 30.4-percent field goal clip. Los Angeles' first dozen minutes of action versus Indy was a remarkable two-way effort, led by combo guard Austin Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura.

14 of Reaves' 20 first-half points against the Pacers came in the opening frame. He converted five of his first six attempts, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Hachimura was a factor on the glass, corralling five rebounds. The duo set the tone early for the Lakers, resulting in an onslaught.

If the Lakers are playing this well and don't have James or Doncic at their disposal, imagine how dominant the team can be at full strength. The superstar tandem, along with Reaves, Hachimura and Williams, has the potential to wreak havoc. With that in mind, the purple and gold are emerging as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference following their midseason overhaul.

While we shouldn't overreact to one game, the Lakers are a different beast now than they were roughly a week ago. But Los Angeles may have transformed from a playoff-hopeful squad to a formidable championship contender, and we haven't even seen James and Doncic together yet.